Actor and science advocate Alan Alda challenged the world to answer a simple question: What is a flame? The challenge he posed, inspired by his own boyhood curiosity, was to explain what a flame is in a way that would be intelligible and fun for an 11-year old. Out of 822 entries received, an expert panel of scientists and 11-year-olds from around the world named Missouri native Ben Ames the winner. Ames blended animation, music and science to come up with his winning entry.

The student, Elmer Huaihan Tan of Edison, N.J., was nominated for the fair by the American Chemical Society because he was one of four students to represent the U.S. at last summer's International Chemistry Olympiad in Turkey, where he brought home a silver medal. The fair took place on February 7th.